| Editor: David E Marlett Th.D. | |
| February 19, 2001 | Vol II #1 |
Homosexual congressman Barney Frank has introduced H.R. 270, which is designed to subvert the intent of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), passed in 1996 and signed by President Clinton. DOMA permits states to ignore homosexual marriages performed in other states, and it provides a definition of marriage for federal laws, along biblical guidelines. Through H.R. 270, Frank wants to strike out the definition of marriage in DOMA. If his bill passes, the federal government would have no legal definition of marriage, thereby allowing homosexuals to then redefine marriage for their own purposes. They could then continue to push for same-sex marriages, state by state.
PRAYER FOCUS: Once again, ask that the mouths of the wicked be stopped.
SCRIPTURE: "he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening." (Job 12:14b)
Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle has introdued this omnibus civil rights bill, which includes many questionable provisions. Among those are a bill (similar to ENDA) requiring quotas for the hiring of homosexual employees, and a hate crimes bill which includes a sexual orientation provision.
PRAYER FOCUS: Intercede that the members of the U.S. Senate be watchful and careful in studying through this vast bill, so that provisions like those stated above would be deleted before it is voted into law.
SCRIPTURE: ". . . for Satan disguises himself as an angel of light." (2 Cor. 11:14)
Freshman congressman Eric Cantor has introduced this bill to provide up to $1,000 per child tax credit to cover a variety of educational expenses, including tuition and fees, books, academic tutoring, special needs services, computers and computer equipment and educational supplies. It can be applied to public, private, religious, and home school students.
PRAYER FOCUS: Pray for passage. This bill will assist parents in training their children in the way they should go.
SCRIPTURE: "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Prov. 22:6)
Last night, the House voted by an overwhelming 410 to 1 margin in favor of House Resolution 34, sponsored by Reps. Henry Hyde, Tom Lantos, Ben Gilman, and Eric Cantor. The legislation congratulates Prime Minister-elect Ariel Sharon on his recent election and restates the United States' commitment to a secure peace for Israel. The resolution also calls on Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat to "use his influence and resources" to bring the violence in the Middle East to an end. In his remarks on the House floor, Chairman of the International Relations Committee Henry Hyde stated, "the future will surely bring many new challenges to Israel . . .it is critical the United States and Israel maintain an unshakable alliance to further our mutual interests." Ranking Minority member Tom Lantos stated, "Mr. Arafat commands a so-called 'police force' of over 40,000 well-armed soldiers. . . Forty thousand well-armed men on that small a territory are more than adequate to restore peace and stability." Rep. Eric Canton said, "I believe very strongly that the United States must maintain its commitment to Israel's security as a fundamental basis of its involvement in the peace process . . . we need to make sure we stand with and support our only Democratic ally in the region."
PRAYER FOCUS: Rejoice in the Lord and give thanks that our elected officials in the House of Representatives are choosing to stand by Israel. Ask for the same initiative to come forth next in the Senate.
SCRIPTURE: " And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." (Gen. 12:3)
[ Joe Adams http://www.bardstown.com/~brojoe/ ]
Fresh from the seizure of Indianapolis Baptist Temple, the government now has a big, thick head on its shoulders.
Apparently, they have now prompted other local, state and federal government agencies to get in on the act.
The police department of Buena Vista, CA, announced to the First Southern Baptist Church that they intend to "inspect" the church's facilities. Only the police know what they are inspecting for, but it probably is meaningless.
It seems that big government hates big religion.
*****
From: wileydrake@hotmail.com (Pastor Wiley Drake)
Please let everyone know that today 2-15-01 we received a short 5 day notice that police and local authorities will come on our property to "inspect" This is how they tried to shut us down last time and I was facing 5 years in jail.
The "Inspection" is scheduled for Feb. 20, 2001 10:00 a.m. west coast time, and we welcome ALL to be the welcoming committee for the Gestapo. First Southern Baptist Church 6801 Western Ave. Buena Park,California 90621 5 miles from Disneyland,15 miles south of Los Angeles
Church number, till they turn it off, 714-522-7201 cell phone 714-865-8132
They have said in their letter, and I quote "Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. In order to complete the inspection process it will be necessary for you or a representative to be present to accompany the inspection team" I refuse to accompany them but I do invite all my brothers to come to "accompany" them.
Pastor Wiley Drake
*****
What "contraband" will they be searching for. Pastor Drake's church feeds and clothes homeless people. A ministry that the city has attempted to regulate for years. Pray for this pastor.
"As night does not come at once, neither does oppression. In both instances, there is a twilight when everything remains unchanged. And it is in that twilight that we must be most aware of the change in the air, however slight, lest we become unwitting victims of the darkness." -- US Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas
[ Dr Ed DeVries ]
AUGUSTA, ME- Maine home schooling rights are under attack. No state in the country requires home school children to take their state's assessment test, but that's what some Maine legislators are trying to do with Legislative Document 405, also known as Senate Bill 129.
L.D. 405 would restrict home school freedom by requiring home-schooled students to take the Maine Educational Assessment exam. The MEA is a highly content-specific test that measures how well students have learned the state's public school curriculum.
For students who have been taught the state public school curriculum, testing them with the MEA makes sense. It's unfair, and it makes no sense, for students to be required to take the test who have not been taught the state public school curriculum. Home-schooled students are not required to use the state's public school curriculum. Their parents can choose one of a wide variety of curricula that are available. This freedom to tailor education to meet each child's unique needs is one reason home school children score so high on nationally recognized tests such as the SAT and ACT.
The bill is officially known as "An Act to Account for Homeschooled Children under the School Funding Formula and to Require the Maine Educational Assessment for Homeschooled Children."
Home school students are already required by law to be assessed every year. Those assessments must be filed with the Maine State Department of Education. Requiring home-schooled students to take an additional test is unnecessary. Passage of L.D. 405 would create tremendous, unfair pressure on parents to give up the curriculum they believe is best for their child, and instead teach the public school curriculum.
Parents would be compelled to make a painful choice: do I continue teaching the curriculum I know is best for my individual child, even if it means my child is stigmatized by a low MEA score, or do I surrender to the pressure and start teaching my child the public school curriculum?
Private school students would also be forced to take MEA if the legislature passes L.D. 405. These students and parents will find that they have many of the same concerns with this bill that home schoolers do.
L.D. 405 is financially irresponsible. Why should the school get paid for children it does not teach? It would allow every school district to collect 25 percent of Maine's per-pupil funding for each home school student just because that student resides in the school district. Furthermore, since taxpayers are the only source of government revenue, public schools will get extra money only if it comes from taxpayers. The greater the numbers of home schoolers, the greater the potential tax increases. Does this make sense when home schooling is today's fastest growing educational movement?
On Wednesday, February 21, the Maine Education and Cultural Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on L.D. 405 in the Cross Office Building, Room 214, on Sewall Street, directly behind the capitol. The location may be changed. Contacts in Maine are available by phoning Ed Green at (207) 763-4251.
[ HSLDA ]
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